PHT, Cadence, Foot strike...recovery and rebuilding

ounce wrote:So Mike has good thumbs, eh?

I'm very glad your hamstring is progressing.  Maybe the thumbs can permanently keep you from getting (dare I say it) hamstrung.  Just keep it up the regularity.

Life changes us by its events and how we handle it.  The arm's length people we know get arm's length treatment.  Really close people get really close treatment and those take longer to process, but it does process.  We use past deaths as a guide for how we will process future ones.  I'm working on just being present for the family and keeping my mouth shut.  Seems like that works for the situations I find myself.  I've been asked to share my memories or stories at a memorial service.  I ask how long will I have to speak, then practice in the days prior to get it within or near the time allotted.  Those in the family expect me to be myself.  So, I am.  After one this year, I asked the pastor if I was too funny.  The pastor said, "People want to laugh to break the tension.  You gave them that opportunity."  He said I was just fine.  I wasn't too funny and the pastor validated what I did.  It wasn't all humor.  I was serious broken up by some levity.  It was a very difficult talk to give and my practicing made it easier.

Anywho, on supplements.  First let me say that doctors follow the Standard of Care by their specialty.  It's how doctors avoid getting seriously sued.  So, if Dr. B says they don't do much, that just means supplements don't fall under Standard of Care.  Most doctors don't have time to read journals or articles about supplement X.

I personally take 256 mg pure melatonin, 1,000 Vit C b.i.d, 10,000 IU D3 6 days a week, 42 mg 5% Iodine, 1,400 mg DHA, and 2 teaspoons Potassium Citrate in water each day.  I've been taking all of that for at least 4 years, the iodine about 10 years.  I'm not toxic on any of them and there is no toxic amount of melatonin.  I guess to each their own.

So your social running calendar is all set for the rest of the year.  Good luck with the execution.

Hamstrung huh.  

Thanks for the thoughts Doug.  I know it's just a fact of life...part of the cycle...but this one hit me hard.  I am feeling better but wish I could speak to Meryl in person.  When I do it will be awkward as so much time will have passed.  We'll both deal with it.

I do have very mixed feelings about the supplements.  I'm still taking them for now.  I'm leaning toward continuing the D3 and Iron as my blood tests indicated they were low and the supplements brought the numbers up.  I added the Zinc and Quercetin as they were part of the COVID protocol.  I'll do a bit more research on them but a quick google indicates they may be helpful for endurance athletes.  I did find the studies that Dr. B mentioned concerning vitamin C and they indicated that it may inhibit the production of mitochondria...I think I'm summarizing correctly.  Vitamin E seems to have the same effect.  I need to check out the doses that they used in their studies.  I'm on the fence with the fish oil.  More than one doctor explained to me that people that take fish oil do live longer...because healthier people tend to take fish oil.  

***

I had a couple pretty nice runs this week.
Monday I went to the middle school track for my speedwork.  77 degrees at the start and 85 at the finish.  And I actually hit the paces.  I did take a short break to hydrate and stand in the shade before I started the second block of work.
My easy runs have all been at temperatures in the mid-upper 70's or low 80's.

• 5.0 @ 12:09 HR 140
  
• 5.0 @ 11:48 HR 135
  
• 6.0 @ 11:38 HR 139
  

Pretty pleased with those HR stats...especially at those paces under those conditions.

Tomorrow morning is a bit less busy on the farm so I'm going to sneak off early to run before it gets hot.  I've got 10 on my schedule and it's predicted to be 108 degrees.  The boys can manage without me for one morning.

Looking forward to some cooler weather next week...

Boy am I struggling to find time to keep this updated.

Before I forget I want to mention that I had a vision appt and mentioned the supplements I was taking.  She indicated that it wasn't a good idea to take zinc on a long term basis.  Fine if you get sick but not long term.  She encouraged me to continue to take D3, Iron, and Quercetin.  We didn't talk about the fish oil as I've been on it for quite some time.  She is a fish oil advocate based on past conversations.

I struggled with my running...actually recovery...the last week or so.  It's the heat combined with lack of sleep.  We finished the baling for now and it's cooled off a bit so I'm feeling better already.  I ran a nice 10 mile negative split on Saturday the 30th and pushed harder than I should have in the heat.  My 4 mile recovery was very slow on Sunday.  Monday was a nice easy 5 mile sunrise run with Janice.  Tuesday was my SOS run for the week and it was warm when I started.  Plan was for 8 miles w/2 @ HMP, 1 @ HMP-10, 2 @ HMP.  I hit the paces and only cheated a bit by taking a bit extra recovery.  I probably shouldn't have tried to hit the paces in those temps.  I went to Workout Wednesday as I wanted to build a relationship with the kids.  I didn't plan to run much if any but ended up running nearly 3 miles and it was HOT.  Kept my 6 miles easy on Thursday as I was not feeling well at all.  I was determined to get my scheduled 12 miles done on Saturday.  I was able to start before sunrise and I started very conservatively.  I ended up feeling okay after the first couple miles and while it wasn't fast it was a good run.  Very easy 4 this morning and I'm pleased to say I'm feeling much better!

I know I overdid it and I paid for it for a few days but I dialed back and recovered before doing any permanent damage.  Lesson learned I hope.

Cooler temps and a less hectic schedule should help me get my running legs back under me.

Nice to know that Fast Freddy is still lurking around, waiting for the opportunity to turn on the afterburners. His timing could use some improvement, though.

I'm impressed that you can work in any running at all during haying season. Did you do carrot seed again this year?

Mark B wrote:Nice to know that Fast Freddy is still lurking around, waiting for the opportunity to turn on the afterburners. His timing could use some improvement, though.

I'm impressed that you can work in any running at all during haying season. Did you do carrot seed again this year?

Yeah, out of sight, out of mind but I agree that Fast Freddy is always lurking in the background.  Melissa keeps my training challenging so I don't go crazy as often...and I know that she see everything I do and will scold me if I get to carried away.   
I'm learning to run the paces she recommends most of the time.  She doesn't seem to mind if I finish fast as long as the bulk of the workout is at the correct pace...and as long as I don't start to fast and then burn out.  I will admit that adjusting to the conditions is tough for me though.  I still tend to try and hit the paces.  And group runs with faster runners are tough.  I often utilize Janice to keep my paces easy on easy days.  That's what friends are for.

Yes, running during the busy farming season is tough.  I'm supposed to be semi-retired but the boys don't seem to remember that when it's time to rake or bale.  I don't help with irrigation much at all anymore.  I'm getting much better at running when the conditions aren't ideal...with Melissa's encouragement.  She often reminds me that I can't choose the weather on race day.  And the boys are pretty good at helping me get my longer runs in early on hot days if we have enough workers.

We've leased an additional 500 acres and transferred the water to our base (600 acres) due to the drought and water restrictions.  We're only getting 25% of our water so it allows us to maintain soil health on our base.  We're still growing carrot...and now parsley...seed.  It's labor intensive and high investment/high risk but uses less water than most crops.  We got burnt last year as the heat dome arrived just as the crops were pollinating and the bees weren't able to handle the heat.  Very poor crop.  This year is looking a bit better as the heat came later and was less severe.  We'll see.  We still have some hay and bluegrass seed.  And lots and lots of cover crop to keep the soil intact and healthy.

Nice easy sunrise run with Janice this morning.

Second sports massage yesterday.     I guess Mike figured if I came back a second time he could dig a little deeper.  He worked almost exclusively on the left hamstring last time.  He said I probably didn't need to schedule as much time for this appointment but since I was driving 2 hours round trip for the appointment I decided it didn't make sense to book less than an hour.  So I asked him to prioritize the left sit-bone area but to spend time on the right sit-bone as it also has some scar tissue and if he had extra time to work on my neck and shoulders as they are always tight.  He worked hard on all three areas and I as soooooo sore this morning.  Slow getting started but I ran my scheduled 6 miles this morning at an easy effort.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that my pace was 11:30 at a 137 HR and 156 cadence.

Yesterday was the last Workout Wednesday before high school cross country practice officially starts.  I wasn't supposed to run after my massage and I actually listened this time and didn't.  I did attend as it was another opportunity to connect with the kids.  Mario had organized a speaker.  Kenyon Neuman was an outstanding high school runner from Bend (graduated in 2005) and went on to run with the CU Buffaloes and then ran professionally for a few years.  He did some coaching etc and now lives in Bend and works in marketing for Nike.  He did a great job connecting with the kids.

To busy to celebrate our 46th wedding anniversary on the 31st so we're heading to dinner tonight.  Marty isn't a big fan of eating out so I was pleased he offered...and suggested a place I've been interested in trying that's a bit out of his comfort zone.  I did make one of his favorite meals on the 31st. 

Anniversary dinner was a nice treat...a bit out of our league but fun anyway.

Keeping up with training even though I spent 5 days in the Olympic Peninsula with Katie.  We got in several short hikes totaling about 20 miles.  We also pedaled about 20 miles...mostly on a railrider plus a few miles on the beach with pedal assist.  Spoiled ourselves with several soaks in the hot springs and some delicious seafood.  I kept up with my running but wasn't able to stay on track with my PT, strength training, or rolling.  I'm back at it now that I'm home.  It was a very busy trip but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I saved some activities that can be done in the winter and hope to go back up with Marty some day.

I was pretty pooped after the trip and it was reflected in my runs for a couple days.  I tried to keep the weekend pretty relaxing and I felt much better this morning.  Tomorrow is a challenging run so that will tell the tale.  Hamstring is holding up pretty well.  It's still there but it's much better than it was this time last year.  I'm registered for the Boring Half on Sept. 11th and looking forward to seeing what I can do in a race situation.

Ultreya...

Oh, you're still running.

My turn to apologize for not keeping up.  I am so pleased your hammy has decided to be untangled from its years long pile of cooked spaghetti.  

I took a gander at the Boring website.  I saw no elevation map, nor mention of it.  I guess if you have to ask or didn't see the mountain on the main page that you probably shouldn't enter.  

Have you come up with a plan for that race?  Or one that you and Melissa have agreed?

Continued progress, madam.  Glad y'all had a nice anniversary dinner(s)!

ounce wrote:Oh, you're still running.

My turn to apologize for not keeping up.  I am so pleased your hammy has decided to be untangled from its years long pile of cooked spaghetti.  

I took a gander at the Boring website.  I saw no elevation map, nor mention of it.  I guess if you have to ask or didn't see the mountain on the main page that you probably shouldn't enter.  

Have you come up with a plan for that race?  Or one that you and Melissa have agreed?

Continued progress, madam.  Glad y'all had a nice anniversary dinner(s)!

Yes, I'm still running.

Tough 14 miler today.  Goal was a moderate pace with a negative split.  I did not sleep well and also knew it is predicted to cool 15 degrees tomorrow.  I seriously considered postponing the run till tomorrow but I could hear coach Melissa and Mario both whispering in my ear so I laced up my shoes and headed to the lake overlook.  I bit of history...sorry...I've been struggling with GI issues requiring me to stop mid-run...sometimes multiple times...and find a tree.     So I lightened up my breakfast even more this morning and waited an extra hour before heading out.  Success!  I made it through my run.  Sorry for the details. 

Finished the run @11:19 pace.  Perfect.  Pace half way through was 11:31.  I was feeling good and got a bit frisky in miles 3-5.  That made the second half challenging.  Aimed for a slow progression and hit it perfectly.  11:28,11:21,11:15,11:15,11:04,10:58,10:28.  I had to really dig deep and I was exhausted but pleased.  Cadence only 157 (a bit disappointing) and HR 149/172.

Hammy update.  It's feeling pretty good but still hanging around.  Had a tough workout on Tuesday with some speed and it was talking to me the last few miles.  Not terrible but enough to remind me to get back on track with my PT and rolling.  I've already done my rolling today and it's feeling good in sprite of the 14 miler this morning.

Boring Half.  There is a screen shot of the course map and elevation on the website but it's not interactive or easy to find or to read.  Essentially it's a gradual downhill dropping 284' to the turnaround and then climbing back up on the return.  It's on a paved multi-use trail.  It's limited to 220 runners in the half and 500 in all three distances so hopefully passing won't be a problem.  I ran into problems in Eugene this spring when the field was larger and I got boxed in when runners were going both ways on a narrow multi-use trail for a bit.  I haven't got my instructions for my last week of training or my pacing strategy or goals from Melissa yet.  I'm curious.  I know she isn't planning on this being a goal race.  It's supposed to be an opportunity to practice traveling, race prep, race morning, fueling, gear etc.  It will be hard for me to treat it solely as a training run and not race a little.  As I said, I'm curious to see what she instructs me to do.

I have another half on October 15th that is more of a goal race and a test before CIM.  I got a reminder this morning that CIM is only 100 days away. 

Speaking of Mario.  He just finished running the UTMB CCC in France (100 km with 6103 METERS of elevation gain).  He was quite disappointed in his finish.  His goal was to finish between 11-12 hours and place in the top 20.  He started well but faded into 159th finishing in 14:24.  His Stava post say "Grateful to make it to the finish today.  Was close to giving up a few times.  Had quite a few obstacles today and didn't think I'd be able to finish"  He's been mentoring the high school runners and also working with the adult runners in the community so we were all following his run.  Not giving up was a good example to set for the kids!

Looking forward to an easy 4 tomorrow in cooler temperatures...

nkrichards wrote:

ounce wrote:Oh, you're still running.

My turn to apologize for not keeping up.  I am so pleased your hammy has decided to be untangled from its years long pile of cooked spaghetti.  

I took a gander at the Boring website.  I saw no elevation map, nor mention of it.  I guess if you have to ask or didn't see the mountain on the main page that you probably shouldn't enter.  

Have you come up with a plan for that race?  Or one that you and Melissa have agreed?

Continued progress, madam.  Glad y'all had a nice anniversary dinner(s)!

Yes, I'm still running.

Tough 14 miler today.  Goal was a moderate pace with a negative split.  I did not sleep well and also knew it is predicted to cool 15 degrees tomorrow.  I seriously considered postponing the run till tomorrow but I could hear coach Melissa and Mario both whispering in my ear so I laced up my shoes and headed to the lake overlook.  I bit of history...sorry...I've been struggling with GI issues requiring me to stop mid-run...sometimes multiple times...and find a tree.     So I lightened up my breakfast even more this morning and waited an extra hour before heading out.  Success!  I made it through my run.  Sorry for the details. 

Finished the run @11:19 pace.  Perfect.  Pace half way through was 11:31.  I was feeling good and got a bit frisky in miles 3-5.  That made the second half challenging.  Aimed for a slow progression and hit it perfectly.  11:28,11:21,11:15,11:15,11:04,10:58,10:28.  I had to really dig deep and I was exhausted but pleased.  Cadence only 157 (a bit disappointing) and HR 149/172.

Hammy update.  It's feeling pretty good but still hanging around.  Had a tough workout on Tuesday with some speed and it was talking to me the last few miles.  Not terrible but enough to remind me to get back on track with my PT and rolling.  I've already done my rolling today and it's feeling good in sprite of the 14 miler this morning.

Boring Half.  There is a screen shot of the course map and elevation on the website but it's not interactive or easy to find or to read.  Essentially it's a gradual downhill dropping 284' to the turnaround and then climbing back up on the return.  It's on a paved multi-use trail.  It's limited to 220 runners in the half and 500 in all three distances so hopefully passing won't be a problem.  I ran into problems in Eugene this spring when the field was larger and I got boxed in when runners were going both ways on a narrow multi-use trail for a bit.  I haven't got my instructions for my last week of training or my pacing strategy or goals from Melissa yet.  I'm curious.  I know she isn't planning on this being a goal race.  It's supposed to be an opportunity to practice traveling, race prep, race morning, fueling, gear etc.  It will be hard for me to treat it solely as a training run and not race a little.  As I said, I'm curious to see what she instructs me to do.

I have another half on October 15th that is more of a goal race and a test before CIM.  I got a reminder this morning that CIM is only 100 days away. 

Speaking of Mario.  He just finished running the UTMB CCC in France (100 km with 6103 METERS of elevation gain).  He was quite disappointed in his finish.  His goal was to finish between 11-12 hours and place in the top 20.  He started well but faded into 159th finishing in 14:24.  His Stava post say "Grateful to make it to the finish today.  Was close to giving up a few times.  Had quite a few obstacles today and didn't think I'd be able to finish"  He's been mentoring the high school runners and also working with the adult runners in the community so we were all following his run.  Not giving up was a good example to set for the kids!

Looking forward to an easy 4 tomorrow in cooler temperatures...

Regarding Mario, I imagine he didn't want to give up, so he wouldn't have to face y'all.  I could handle 6,103 mm of elevation gain.

I guess the quantity of runners (traffic) with you during the Boring race would be a good indicator if you can race it or just run it.  

GI issues are tough, but can respond to corrections.  Uh...it happens.  Glad it responded to your tweaking.  I've wanted to eat a bowl of oatmeal, instead of a bowl of cereal, before a long run.  But I can't say whether the fiber in the oatmeal will create an adverse effect or not.

You mentioned about the email from CIM that it's 100 days to the race.  That made me go to the Houston site.  140 days...20 weeks.

Get your rest.  Nice going!

ounce wrote:

Regarding Mario, I imagine he didn't want to give up, so he wouldn't have to face y'all.  I could handle 6,103 mm of elevation gain.

I guess the quantity of runners (traffic) with you during the Boring race would be a good indicator if you can race it or just run it.  

GI issues are tough, but can respond to corrections.  Uh...it happens.  Glad it responded to your tweaking.  I've wanted to eat a bowl of oatmeal, instead of a bowl of cereal, before a long run.  But I can't say whether the fiber in the oatmeal will create an adverse effect or not.

You mentioned about the email from CIM that it's 100 days to the race.  That made me go to the Houston site.  140 days...20 weeks.

Get your rest.  Nice going!

Mario is back in Central Oregon and according to Strava went out for an easy run yesterday.  I haven't talked to him yet.  I'm sure he's disappointed and I know how he feels.  I'm curious to learn what went wrong...if he knows.

Looking forward to the half on 9/11.  No race strategy from Melissa yet but I'm sure I'll get my instructions in the next few days.  Fortunately the weather is HOT this week but cooling significantly for race week.  It's cooler in Boring than in Madras as a general rule.  Looks like a predicted low of 57 with a high of 77 on race day.  Warmer than I like but quite comfortable.

Successfully managed a small breakfast and an uninterrupted run this morning.  

***
Really fun run this morning.   7 miles w/4x1 mile @HMP-10 seconds (9:34) With 400 rest between.

1. 9:43
   
2. 9:33
   
3. 9:26
   
4. 9:17
   

Hopefully I didn't ruin the intent of the run by going faster than goal pace...  It felt great!  The best part of the stats are that cadence was 163 for the first two intervals and 164 for the last two.  AND the cadence for the rest intervals and the mile cooldown was 161.   Warmup cadence was a disappointing 156 but who's counting.

***

I don't know if I mentioned that we celebrated Janice's 76th birthday with a 10K last weekend followed by coffee.  When I asked her age she replied...I have 24 years to practice for the 100 meter dash record.   During our run on Monday she suggested we add a couple laps around the middle school track.  We did.  We "sprinted" the straight-aways.  She feels she's more of a long distance runner and needs to practice her speed for the shorter distance.  

In the middle of taper week for the Boring Half on 9/11.  The expected cooling is not going to materialize for the race.  Predicted low 64.  High 84.  Much warmer than I like but I'm sure I'll survive.  Good thing I followed Melissa's advice and got in some training runs in the heat this summer.  

The course is an out and back on a paved multi-use trail.  It's on an old railroad track so the incline/decline is very gradual.  Drops 284 feet on the way out and then gains it back on the return.

I'm feeling pretty good.  Training runs have gone well.  The hamstring still talks to me just enough to remind me to keep up with my PT and rolling.  It's feeling much better than it did this time last year.  We've started 3rd cutting hay and seed harvest this week so I've been spending lots of time sitting in the tractor.  It's holding up very well!

I got my marching orders from Melissa.  No specific goal time/pace as this is just to get in some race prep and fueling practice.  She has instructed me to go out conservative and make sure the pace feels easy as the slight uphill return will feel harder on tired legs.  My goal pace as predicted by my marathon goal is 9:53 (2:09:30) but my 10K results earlier this year predict 9:41 (2:06:52).  I've been training at the faster paces as I'm still in my speed phase of training.  I'll try and start the race at the slower pace and hope to be able to run a negative split.  I don't want to push to hard to early in those temperatures.  And I don't want to push so hard that I jeopardize my marathon training going forward.  But I will race...how can I not.

The plan is to drive over the mountain Saturday after lunch.  Mom asked me to help her pack up the china cabinet...she's in one of her "I need to move so must give everything away" moods.  I'll visit with her while we pack items and then go pick up my packet and check into my hotel.  I'll stop back in on Sunday after the race before I drive home.

Easy 4 this morning before I head out to rake hay...

nkrichards wrote:

ounce wrote:

Regarding Mario, I imagine he didn't want to give up, so he wouldn't have to face y'all.  I could handle 6,103 mm of elevation gain.

I guess the quantity of runners (traffic) with you during the Boring race would be a good indicator if you can race it or just run it.  

GI issues are tough, but can respond to corrections.  Uh...it happens.  Glad it responded to your tweaking.  I've wanted to eat a bowl of oatmeal, instead of a bowl of cereal, before a long run.  But I can't say whether the fiber in the oatmeal will create an adverse effect or not.

You mentioned about the email from CIM that it's 100 days to the race.  That made me go to the Houston site.  140 days...20 weeks.

Get your rest.  Nice going!

Mario is back in Central Oregon and according to Strava went out for an easy run yesterday.  I haven't talked to him yet.  I'm sure he's disappointed and I know how he feels.  I'm curious to learn what went wrong...if he knows.

Looking forward to the half on 9/11.  No race strategy from Melissa yet but I'm sure I'll get my instructions in the next few days.  Fortunately the weather is HOT this week but cooling significantly for race week.  It's cooler in Boring than in Madras as a general rule.  Looks like a predicted low of 57 with a high of 77 on race day.  Warmer than I like but quite comfortable.

Successfully managed a small breakfast and an uninterrupted run this morning.  

***
Really fun run this morning.   7 miles w/4x1 mile @HMP-10 seconds (9:34) With 400 rest between.

1. 9:43
   
2. 9:33
   
3. 9:26
   
4. 9:17
   

Hopefully I didn't ruin the intent of the run by going faster than goal pace...  It felt great!  The best part of the stats are that cadence was 163 for the first two intervals and 164 for the last two.  AND the cadence for the rest intervals and the mile cooldown was 161.   Warmup cadence was a disappointing 156 but who's counting.

***

I don't know if I mentioned that we celebrated Janice's 76th birthday with a 10K last weekend followed by coffee.  When I asked her age she replied...I have 24 years to practice for the 100 meter dash record.   During our run on Monday she suggested we add a couple laps around the middle school track.  We did.  We "sprinted" the straight-aways.  She feels she's more of a long distance runner and needs to practice her speed for the shorter distance.  

Really great on your cadence!  That tells more than anything the shape of your legs.  Janice is hanging in there at 76, for sure.  Now she needs to take your Fast Freddie.

nkrichards wrote:In the middle of taper week for the Boring Half on 9/11.  The expected cooling is not going to materialize for the race.  Predicted low 64.  High 84.  Much warmer than I like but I'm sure I'll survive.  Good thing I followed Melissa's advice and got in some training runs in the heat this summer.  

The course is an out and back on a paved multi-use trail.  It's on an old railroad track so the incline/decline is very gradual.  Drops 284 feet on the way out and then gains it back on the return.

I'm feeling pretty good.  Training runs have gone well.  The hamstring still talks to me just enough to remind me to keep up with my PT and rolling.  It's feeling much better than it did this time last year.  We've started 3rd cutting hay and seed harvest this week so I've been spending lots of time sitting in the tractor.  It's holding up very well!

I got my marching orders from Melissa.  No specific goal time/pace as this is just to get in some race prep and fueling practice.  She has instructed me to go out conservative and make sure the pace feels easy as the slight uphill return will feel harder on tired legs.  My goal pace as predicted by my marathon goal is 9:53 (2:09:30) but my 10K results earlier this year predict 9:41 (2:06:52).  I've been training at the faster paces as I'm still in my speed phase of training.  I'll try and start the race at the slower pace and hope to be able to run a negative split.  I don't want to push to hard to early in those temperatures.  And I don't want to push so hard that I jeopardize my marathon training going forward.  But I will race...how can I not.

The plan is to drive over the mountain Saturday after lunch.  Mom asked me to help her pack up the china cabinet...she's in one of her "I need to move so must give everything away" moods.  I'll visit with her while we pack items and then go pick up my packet and check into my hotel.  I'll stop back in on Sunday after the race before I drive home.

Easy 4 this morning before I head out to rake hay...

Good luck on the pace, Sunday.  That will be an interesting race with the temp factored in, but maybe an increase of up to 12 degrees by the finish line.  69 degrees.  I figure a 2:07:30 time.

Enjoy the lunch and afterwards, too.  So which ESPN channel will the race be broadcast?

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:In the middle of taper week for the Boring Half on 9/11.  The expected cooling is not going to materialize for the race.  Predicted low 64.  High 84.  Much warmer than I like but I'm sure I'll survive.  Good thing I followed Melissa's advice and got in some training runs in the heat this summer.  

The course is an out and back on a paved multi-use trail.  It's on an old railroad track so the incline/decline is very gradual.  Drops 284 feet on the way out and then gains it back on the return.

I'm feeling pretty good.  Training runs have gone well.  The hamstring still talks to me just enough to remind me to keep up with my PT and rolling.  It's feeling much better than it did this time last year.  We've started 3rd cutting hay and seed harvest this week so I've been spending lots of time sitting in the tractor.  It's holding up very well!

I got my marching orders from Melissa.  No specific goal time/pace as this is just to get in some race prep and fueling practice.  She has instructed me to go out conservative and make sure the pace feels easy as the slight uphill return will feel harder on tired legs.  My goal pace as predicted by my marathon goal is 9:53 (2:09:30) but my 10K results earlier this year predict 9:41 (2:06:52).  I've been training at the faster paces as I'm still in my speed phase of training.  I'll try and start the race at the slower pace and hope to be able to run a negative split.  I don't want to push to hard to early in those temperatures.  And I don't want to push so hard that I jeopardize my marathon training going forward.  But I will race...how can I not.

The plan is to drive over the mountain Saturday after lunch.  Mom asked me to help her pack up the china cabinet...she's in one of her "I need to move so must give everything away" moods.  I'll visit with her while we pack items and then go pick up my packet and check into my hotel.  I'll stop back in on Sunday after the race before I drive home.

Easy 4 this morning before I head out to rake hay...

Good luck on the pace, Sunday.  That will be an interesting race with the temp factored in, but maybe an increase of up to 12 degrees by the finish line.  69 degrees.  I figure a 2:07:30 time.

Enjoy the lunch and afterwards, too.  So which ESPN channel will the race be broadcast?

I drove to Sandy yesterday only to learn that the race had been cancelled.     High winds and low humidity had created a high risk of wildfires.  So...the power company shut off power in several areas.  The multiuse trail was closed and all permits for the race were withdrawn.  That left the race director with no choice as without permits he had no insurance.  There was already noticeable smoke in Boring and we got an emergency alert to evacuate an area only a few miles away during dinner.   I checked this morning and the smoke in Boring is at unhealthy levels...162 this morning.

So...I helped Mom do a few things and then had a nice supper with Mom and my brother and then drove home last night.  I decide why waste a perfectly good taper so I ran my race solo this morning and was quite pleased with the results even though I missed your prediction by a bit.

WU 1 mile with dynamic stretches and strides.
13.1 mi @9:49 2:08:44 HR 153/171 Cadence 162  Temp at the start 51...65 at the finish.  Moderate smoke but not enough to affect the safety of the run.

1. 10:02
   
2. 9:58
   
3. 9:54
   
4. 9:57
   
5. 9:53
   
6. 9:56
   
7. 9:51
   
8. 9:51
   
9. 9:48
   
10. 9:45
    
11. 9:45
    
12. 9:36
    
13. 9:29
    
14. @ 8:33
    

 CD 1 mile @ 11:22

As you can see I started pretty conservative and tried to build from there.  There are a few small rollers on this route so they caused some variability in lap paces.  I intentionally made sure there was a small ascent (37') during the final mile and had to dig deep to reach my pace goal!

I missed the race atmosphere but I'm quite happy with this run and I'm looking forward to a recovery week.

Sucks about the race, but nothing you could do.  you made more than the most of it by having that extended time with your mom and brother.

I lost $62,000 for not beating that time by one lousy minute.

So, do you feel the quicker pace?  Or, maybe, when do you feel the quicker pace?  

Your HR splits show a ton of consistency and no cardiac creep until mile 10 until the end.  That might tell me that all you have to do is proper foot placement.  Consistent HR.  Consistent foot tapping.

Do you breathe with your mouth open or just breathing through your nose, for the most part?  How much faster splits are you looking for between now and CIM?  Or are you going to try to just extend the splits into the 24 mile zone?  Well done!

ounce wrote:Sucks about the race, but nothing you could do.  you made more than the most of it by having that extended time with your mom and brother.
It actually did end up being a nice day.  And the weather was cooler and less smoky at home on Sunday so all worked out for the best.  I did miss the race atmosphere but I'm registered for another half on Oct 15th so will have another shot at it.
I lost $62,000 for not beating that time by one lousy minute.
Sorry to disappoint you.  I'll try harder next time.
So, do you feel the quicker pace?  Or, maybe, when do you feel the quicker pace?  
I've been doing a fair bit of speedwork recently but it's been shorter distances.  She's had me doing intervals at 5k-10k pace.  A couple weeks ago I did 4x1 mile @HMP-10.  A month ago I ran 8 with 4 @ HMP.  It's holding that pace for an extended distance that creates the challenge.  
Your HR splits show a ton of consistency and no cardiac creep until mile 10 until the end.  That might tell me that all you have to do is proper foot placement.  Consistent HR.  Consistent foot tapping.
Interesting observation.  I didn't pay much attention to the HR stats.  It was pretty steady until the last 4 miles or so...when I sped up a bit.
Do you breathe with your mouth open or just breathing through your nose, for the most part? 
I'm a mouth breather.  I've tried to learn to breath through my nose but didn't stick with it.
How much faster splits are you looking for between now and CIM?  Or are you going to try to just extend the splits into the 24 mile zone? 
I actually get to slow down for CIM.  My BQ time (4:35) requires a pace of 10:29.  My goal is 4:30 (@10:18).  The results of this run predict a 4:28:24 marathon @10:14.
Well done!

I'm in a good place.  I just need to build endurance and fuel well on race day.

I was pretty sore and tired Sunday afternoon and evening.  I rolled and soaked in the tub for a bit.  I felt much better Monday morning.  It was a rest day but I rolled again.  This morning I ran 4.2 @ 11:30 and it felt pretty good.  I rolled after the run and then did my PT this afternoon.  I have 6 on the schedule for tomorrow.

It was a good run.  

And thanks!

Good recovery week.  I bounced back from the race effort very quickly and was feeling good.  

Then...chills and low grade fever yesterday.  The grandkids have been passing a nasty cold around for the last few days.  Last night I was tempted to cancel my plans with Janice for this morning and told her to check her phone before she headed out to meet me.  I was feeling much better this morning so we just eased off on the pace and distance.  Feeling fine after my run but I'll continue taking Emegen-C for a couple more days, get lots of sleep, and reschedule my Tuesday speedwork for Wednesday.  Hoping this passes quickly and I don't feel worse as the day wears on.

nkrichards wrote:Good recovery week.  I bounced back from the race effort very quickly and was feeling good.  

Then...chills and low grade fever yesterday.  The grandkids have been passing a nasty cold around for the last few days.  Last night I was tempted to cancel my plans with Janice for this morning and told her to check her phone before she headed out to meet me.  I was feeling much better this morning so we just eased off on the pace and distance.  Feeling fine after my run but I'll continue taking Emegen-C for a couple more days, get lots of sleep, and reschedule my Tuesday speedwork for Wednesday.  Hoping this passes quickly and I don't feel worse as the day wears on.

I hope your affliction has been shown the door.  I don't get the chills much, mostly after a warmer-than-I-would-like marathon.

At least, you were able to comment on my runs!

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Good recovery week.  I bounced back from the race effort very quickly and was feeling good.  

Then...chills and low grade fever yesterday.  The grandkids have been passing a nasty cold around for the last few days.  Last night I was tempted to cancel my plans with Janice for this morning and told her to check her phone before she headed out to meet me.  I was feeling much better this morning so we just eased off on the pace and distance.  Feeling fine after my run but I'll continue taking Emegen-C for a couple more days, get lots of sleep, and reschedule my Tuesday speedwork for Wednesday.  Hoping this passes quickly and I don't feel worse as the day wears on.

I hope your affliction has been shown the door.  I don't get the chills much, mostly after a warmer-than-I-would-like marathon.

At least, you were able to comment on my runs!

As you can tell from my Strava activities, I dodged the bullet.  I took it easy on Monday.  Rested on Tuesday partially due to a previously scheduled meeting.  I was back on track by Wednesday.

Training is going quite well.  Melissa still has me doing my training at HM appropriate paces as I prepare for my half on October 15th.  But she has me doing my first 16 miler on Friday so we're obviously transitioning into marathon training.  

Michele ran a fantastic race in Berlin last weekend.  She ran an awesome negative split.  I assume she held back a bit as she is participating the the Half IM Worlds in October.  Michael also ran a great race.

Heading over to spend the day with Mom today.  Plans to go to lunch with my brother and then visit a care facility.  She's starting to accept the fact that staying in her home...with stairs...is not a good option.  She's lived there for 64 years so I know it's a difficult transition.  We'll see how it goes.

Ultreya

I would imagine you are quite ready for going longer, now, and probably have been for a while.

How's the hamstring?

ounce wrote:I would imagine you are quite ready for going longer, now, and probably have been for a while.

How's the hamstring?

The 16 miler was tough but it was self induced.  And I did well.  The one stat that I was a bit discouraged by was the cadence of 157...it was slow from the start.

16.0 @ 11:04 HR 144/164 Cad 157 

1. 11:12
   
2. 11:08
   
3. 11:17
   
4. 11:13
   
5. 11:14
   
6. 11:13
   
7. 11:08
   
8. 11:04  Halfway split 1:29:33
   
9. 11:01
   
10. 11:07
    
11. 11:06
    
12. 11:08
    
13. 11:05
    
14. 10:53
    
15. 10:47
    
16. 10:28
    

Goal pace was 11:17 or slower.     My first 16 miler last year was @11:12.  It was three weeks later in the training cycle.
So...I was supposed to try for a negative split which I did accomplish.  I felt like recently I've been going out a bit to conservative and then having way to much energy left at the finish.  It makes for great finishes!  But do I end up going slower overall??  I decided to start out a bit less conservative and see if I still had any gas at the end.  Most of the pace variability is due to ascent/descent.  The course doesn't have a lot of ups and downs but it doesn't take much to affect my pace.  Mentally I was struggling after I turned around at the end of mile nine.  I was hitting the miles with ascent and also getting tired.  But I was able to push the paces a bit compared to my first lap and I finished well.  I had to work a lot harder to do so but I guess that's the point of training.

Good run and good recovery.

Hamstring is holding up pretty well.  The gym where Mike was employed shut down the end of August but he sent an email out to his clients indicating that he was going to offer mobile massages until he figured out what he wanted to do.  So...on Wed Sept 21st he drove out to Madras and I got my massage in my living room.  I was nervous about getting sore...last time I was really sore!  He wasn't as aggressive this time.  He worked on both hamstrings and my neck and back to fill in the full hour.  I do have to keep up on my rolling and stretching or the left hamstring lets me know.  It's still much tighter than the right side.  The good news...driving in the car doesn't seem as uncomfortable.  I'm doing my full PT twice a week and also one session of upper body strength and one session lower body strength.  Both include core work.  I plan on scheduling another massage after my half on October 15th.  Then I'll leave it alone till after the marathon.

Glad to have a recovery day today.  Tomorrow is an easy run with Janice.  Then I have a challenging workout on Tuesday before transitioning into a short taper for the half on the 15th.

Ultreya...

Very good run yesterday.

Goal was 9 miles with 2x3 mi cutdown (paces 9:54, 9:44, 9:34 each mile)

First loop paces 9:53, 9:43, 9:32.  
Second loop paces 9:48, 9:39, 9:25 


Other than that my runs have been nice easy efforts.  I've been keeping up with my PT and strength/core work.

But...this morning I'm feeling a bit run down.  It may just be from the intensity of my run yesterday but it feels more like the grandkids shared their cold.  I'm going to start on Emergen-C and hope I'm able to dodge the bullet again.

Rest day today.  The most I'll do is my PT work and I'll skip that if I'm not feeling better by mid-morning.

nkrichards wrote:

ounce wrote:I would imagine you are quite ready for going longer, now, and probably have been for a while.

How's the hamstring?

The 16 miler was tough but it was self induced.  And I did well.  The one stat that I was a bit discouraged by was the cadence of 157...it was slow from the start.

16.0 @ 11:04 HR 144/164 Cad 157 

1. 11:12
   
2. 11:08
   
3. 11:17
   
4. 11:13
   
5. 11:14
   
6. 11:13
   
7. 11:08
   
8. 11:04  Halfway split 1:29:33
   
9. 11:01
   
10. 11:07
    
11. 11:06
    
12. 11:08
    
13. 11:05
    
14. 10:53
    
15. 10:47
    
16. 10:28
    

Goal pace was 11:17 or slower.     My first 16 miler last year was @11:12.  It was three weeks later in the training cycle.
So...I was supposed to try for a negative split which I did accomplish.  I felt like recently I've been going out a bit to conservative and then having way to much energy left at the finish.  It makes for great finishes!  But do I end up going slower overall??  I decided to start out a bit less conservative and see if I still had any gas at the end.  Most of the pace variability is due to ascent/descent.  The course doesn't have a lot of ups and downs but it doesn't take much to affect my pace.  Mentally I was struggling after I turned around at the end of mile nine.  I was hitting the miles with ascent and also getting tired.  But I was able to push the paces a bit compared to my first lap and I finished well.  I had to work a lot harder to do so but I guess that's the point of training.

Good run and good recovery.

Hamstring is holding up pretty well.  The gym where Mike was employed shut down the end of August but he sent an email out to his clients indicating that he was going to offer mobile massages until he figured out what he wanted to do.  So...on Wed Sept 21st he drove out to Madras and I got my massage in my living room.  I was nervous about getting sore...last time I was really sore!  He wasn't as aggressive this time.  He worked on both hamstrings and my neck and back to fill in the full hour.  I do have to keep up on my rolling and stretching or the left hamstring lets me know.  It's still much tighter than the right side.  The good news...driving in the car doesn't seem as uncomfortable.  I'm doing my full PT twice a week and also one session of upper body strength and one session lower body strength.  Both include core work.  I plan on scheduling another massage after my half on October 15th.  Then I'll leave it alone till after the marathon.

Glad to have a recovery day today.  Tomorrow is an easy run with Janice.  Then I have a challenging workout on Tuesday before transitioning into a short taper for the half on the 15th.

Ultreya...

First, it's a very nice run.  I wouldn't fret about the cadence, yet.  

Your heart is very comfortable in the 140's, while you're running.  Even the low 140's in the middle of the run with elevation change.   

I would think your cadence will fix itself for the race.  Good luck with it, next week!

nkrichards wrote:Very good run yesterday.

Goal was 9 miles with 2x3 mi cutdown (paces 9:54, 9:44, 9:34 each mile)

First loop paces 9:53, 9:43, 9:32.  
Second loop paces 9:48, 9:39, 9:25 


Other than that my runs have been nice easy efforts.  I've been keeping up with my PT and strength/core work.

But...this morning I'm feeling a bit run down.  It may just be from the intensity of my run yesterday but it feels more like the grandkids shared their cold.  I'm going to start on Emergen-C and hope I'm able to dodge the bullet again.

Rest day today.  The most I'll do is my PT work and I'll skip that if I'm not feeling better by mid-morning.

Looks like your cadence fixed itself for that run. Was the 16 mile run cause for worry?  If this run was a "...nice easy efforts."  Was the 16 categorized as a nice easy effort?  Maybe you do 162 spm on nice easy efforts?

But those ARE some good splits!


Maybe you could ban the grandkids 2 weeks before the day of a run?

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Very good run yesterday.

Goal was 9 miles with 2x3 mi cutdown (paces 9:54, 9:44, 9:34 each mile)

First loop paces 9:53, 9:43, 9:32.  
Second loop paces 9:48, 9:39, 9:25 


Other than that my runs have been nice easy efforts.  I've been keeping up with my PT and strength/core work.

But...this morning I'm feeling a bit run down.  It may just be from the intensity of my run yesterday but it feels more like the grandkids shared their cold.  I'm going to start on Emergen-C and hope I'm able to dodge the bullet again.

Rest day today.  The most I'll do is my PT work and I'll skip that if I'm not feeling better by mid-morning.

Looks like your cadence fixed itself for that run. Was the 16 mile run cause for worry?  If this run was a "...nice easy efforts."  Was the 16 categorized as a nice easy effort?  Maybe you do 162 spm on nice easy efforts?

But those ARE some good splits!


Maybe you could ban the grandkids 2 weeks before the day of a run?

16 miler was a pretty hard effort as I didn't start as conservative as normal...but still a good run well within my abilities right now.

Cadence is always a bit faster during harder/faster efforts.  Peter (PT) said that's to be expected.

I was quite pleased with those splits on the 2x3 mile cutdown run.  

Yes, I think I may need to ban the grandkids for a few days leading up to race day. We're scheduled to spend the weekend with them on Nov 18-19...two weeks before the race.  Then they are heading to California for Thanksgiving.  I'll try to avoid to much public contact those last two weeks.

I'm feeling more congested this morning and I coughed a bit last night.  Not terrible and the half is still a week away so I've got some time to get back to feeling 100%.  And I've been running right through this...just not pushing to hard.

Nice little social group run this morning.  We did finish strong.  Then we headed off for coffee and scones.  

Enjoying my short taper...   Weather is looking is looking warm on race day.  Low of 55.  High of 89.  But with the shorter days it's been slow to warm up so the mornings have been pretty cool and comfortable.  It will be warmer than I like but not terrible.